printing web pages on Tiger to HP LaserJets results in 79.01FE error
I've sworn by HP LaserJets for years as the pinnacle of laser printer technology... but, lately, I've been swearing at them because of this wretched 79.01FE error. I don't know what the cause of this problem is, but I can say unequivocally that our systems are up-to-date, so I don't think anyone can dismiss this as being fixable by a firmware update, driver udpate or whatnot (short of Apple or HP actually resolving the problem and issuing an update to whatever is causing the problem). Here's our configuration... if you check the specs, I think you'll see that we're entirely up-to-date as of this writing.
LaserJet 4MV
* no updatable firmware
* using JetDirect 25525B card with firmware A.08.49
LaserJet 4000TN
* firmware datecode: 980311 MOBY3.65
* using JetDirect 600N (J3111A) with firmware G.08.49
LaserJet 5100TN
* firmware datecode: 20040115 MB8.23
* using JetDirect 615N (J6057A) with firmware R.25.53
LaserJet 8150DN
* firmware datecode: 20041013 MB7.119
* using JetDirect 610N (J4169A) with firwmare L.25.53
workstations
* Mac OS X 10.4.6 with all latest Software Updates
* Safari 2.0.3
* Firefox 1.5.0.3
* LaserJet drivers 5.5.2 (the universal binary set released 04/20/06)
Printing certain web pages (www.cnn.com is one example) to the 5100TN or 8150DN results in the following error message on the LaserJet display panel, at which point the printer is locked up and has to be power cycled:
79.01FE
PRINTER ERROR
These pages print just fine to the 4MV and 4000TN, as well as to our Canon ColorPASS. I've seen a lot of talk about this error message on the web -- many people suggest that using Firefox is a viable workaround, but it does not work for us. We have a single Mac still running OS X 10.3.9, and it prints these pages without causing the error, as do any of our Windows XP Professional stations.
As you can see from my specs above, I've made sure all our printer and JetDirect firmwares are up-to-date. Additionally, I've tried using the recently-released universal binary print drivers (I've even deleted the printers from the printer list and recreated them). I've tried pretty much every trick in the book I can think of, and none of them have been successful.
ONLY Macs running OS X 10.4.x have this problem. So, yes, I know that Apple's software is a factor here. But, as the problem also ONLY occurs with certain LaserJets, then there's an HP connection in there somewhere as well. I find it really odd that the 4MV and 4000TN -- printers that are older than our 5100TN and 8150DN -- do NOT have this problem.
Does ANYONE have any idea how to workaround this problem, or if HP or Apple has any ideas about the cause and/or permanent fix for this issue? Having to restart our LaserJets multiple times a day is a BIG pain, and causing frustration and downtime for us as a company. I'd really like to see some headway on this issue, which has been plaguing us for months and, in my opinion, is actually occuring more frequently now than ever.
Charles "Chris" BaIley
Saint Joseph, Michigan
various, Mac OS X (10.4.6)